The inspiration behind the blockbuster movie (let's never mention that again), THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN once again uses the classic characters from familiar literature to tell a tale of epic proportions in Victorian England.  In volume two, when alien invaders from Mars mercilessly attack London, the throne quickly calls upon Allan Quatermain, Mina Harker, Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, and Dr. Jekyll to protect the empire.  Using their various skills and intellect, the League goes about preparing a defense against the invasion but when the Invisible Man joins the Martian's cause, all appears to be lost.  Now, as one of the members dies a horrific death, the League turns to the legendary Dr. Moreau as their last desperate hope.

Moore continues his trip through pulp genres with this second volume of The League. This collection includes plenty of faux-Victorian backup material, including the comic book series' original covers, and a lengthy prose short story by Moore. Although the film version was a bust, the source material remains an enjoyable, beautifully executed adventure series. Set in an alternate, technologically advanced 1898 London, the story finds legendary literary heroes Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin (the Invisible Man), Edward Hyde and Mina Murray fighting battles that the British Empire can't handle without them. Here, the eclectic team is defending Earth from a Martian invasion, partially set in motion by another pulp hero, Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars. Moore spares no opportunity to play up the team's origins. Edward Hyde, the monstrous side of Dr. Jekyll, is a nasty brute, while Nemo is an imperious egomaniac, and the once-dashing Allan Quartermain is in the twilight of his powers, yet manages to romance Mina Murray, of Dracula notoriety. Moore remains faithful to the stories' structures (e.g., the Martian invasion is a pulpy romp, complete with burning farm houses, silly-looking creatures and plenty of political intrigue). O'Neill, his artistic collaborator, continues his fine run on the series. His drawings are influenced by 19th-century woodcuts but remain loose and lively. His exquisite renderings of machines and urban landscape remain a reason to look at this series—rarely has an adventure comic been so much fun to observe.

I was quite fascinated with the first volume of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." I expected the second volume to be just as fascinating as the first. This time out Alan Moore begins the story on Mars with characters from Edgar Rice Burroughs' series of Mars books starring John Carter. The creatures leaving Mars are doing so because John Carter and the Martians of Edgar Rice Burroughs' stories were preparing to deal with them permanently.

On Earth we meet with the beloved, though somewhat psychopathic, characters of the first book once again. Similar to Robert Heinlein's novel "The Puppet Masters," we see mysterious cylinders land and watch the reaction of the locals. Of course the initial reaction is one of curiosity, as no one suspects the danger presented by those within the cylinder. When the first people die we realize that, just as in the original H.G. Wells novel and in "The Puppet Masters," that these creatures are will not negotiate, preferring to extinguish us instead.

The five central characters, Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Mina Murray, Hawley Griffin, and Edward Hyde, set out to examine the cylinders. After realizing the danger the cylinders impose, M plots a course carefully, eventually leading to the addition of a new character, Dr. Moreau, and a group of creatures endowed by Dr. Moreau with unique attributes. Eventually Dr. Moreau proves critical to the defense of London from the Martians.

During the quest for solutions to the Martian menace we discover that one of the five members of the League has betrayed them. This same person attacks Mina, leaving her injured. We also watch as romance develops between Allan Quartermain and Mina Murray, the heroine of "Dracula." This particular volume features rather risque images of the lustful couple. Later in the novel, another member of the League will revenge Mina in a most disturbing and brutal way, which may eventually hail the end of the league as we know it.

I think this second volume is better than the first volume. Alan Moore was able to capitalize on the character development of the first volume, and thus was able to spend more time on developing the story. Moore also focuses more deeply on the mental problems that each of the characters has, providing the book with two levels of story.

The artwork is also better than in the first book. The imagery is detailed and well matches my mental image of Victorian England. Those details relating to the Martians match my recollection of the original H.G. Wells story. The colors used are vibrant and enhance the story, much like lighting is critical in film.

In addition to the principle story, there is a 46 page story about various sights to be seen around the world. Included are various castles, palaces and other interesting locales. For example, there is a detailed discussion of a certain young lady by the name of Alice, who apparently found a portal into another world. There are other descriptions of giants and leprechauns, and where these creatures might be found, and numerous others. The 46 pages are a tour of the world as the "Twilight Zone" might have done it.

The second volume of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" exceeds the first volume in the story and in the artwork. This book is a worthwhile permanent addition to my library, and fans of graphic novels are sure to agree.

On May 17, 2022, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the reboot is back on track with the reboot streaming on Hulu with Justin Haythe writing and Don Murray who produce the 2003 film will return as a producer alongside Susan Montford and Erwin Stoff of 3 Arts Entertainment.

‘The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ Set For Reboot From 20th Century Studios & Hulu

20th Century Studios is developing a reboot of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for Hulu, Deadline can confirm.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a fantasy pic released by 20th Century Fox in 2003, based on the comic book series of the same name from writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O’Neill. Set in an alternate Victorian Age world, it followed a group of famous contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and adventure characters—including Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray and Tom Sawyer—as they teamed up on a secret mission.

The League of Extraordinary Gentleman comics were first introduced in 1999. Stephen Norrington directed the original film adaptation, starring Sean Connery, which was reputed to be the reason he retired from acting—so miserable was his experience on set. James Dale Robinson wrote the script, with Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Stuart Townsend, Shane West, Jason Flemyng and Richard Roxburgh rounding out the cast.

While multiple attempts at a League reboot have been made in the past, with one conceived as a female-centric take, they’ve thus far been to no avail. BAFTA Award nominee Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road) will adapt the script this time around. Susan Montford and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Erwin Stoff will produce alongside Don Murphy, who also produced the original.

This book is in near mint condition and is a first printing!

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